BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF MANISTEE
IN 1873HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY, MICHIGANWith Illustrations and Biographical Sketches
of Some of Its Men and Pioneers.Published 1882 by H.R. Page & Co., Chicago

A very correct and comprehensive review of the commercial interests of the
city of Manistee was published in the columns of the Manistee Times
the first of June, 1873, and is as follows:

"Manistee City is located on the east shore of Lake Michigan, about seventy
miles north of Grand Haven, 130 west of Saginaw, and ninety-six miles south
of Northport. It is within eight hours ride of Milwaukee by steamer, and
is on the direct line of trade by the lake, between Chicago, Milwaukee and
the East.

"The city is located on both sides of the Manistee River, and between Manistee
Lake and Lake Michigan. The river between the two lakes flows to the west,
and is one mile and a half long, and navigable for vessels and steamers drawing
from eight to twelve feet of water. It has a current of three miles an hour,
and is never closed by ice, floating or otherwise.

"Manistee Lake

lies east of the city, extending south and westward nearly five miles; it
is about a half a mile wide, of pure water, and has high banks of sand and
clay, beautifully situated for building purposes. The water is of great depth,
and affords almost unlimited harbor and commercial facilities. There are
four villages outside of Manistee City proper, and on the banks of the small
lake, as follows: Filer City and Paggeottville, containing about 400 inhabitants
each; Rietzville and Sandsville, containing about 200 inhabitants each.

"The city proper contains about 5,000 inhabitants. Its business center is
half way from lake to lake, and in the geographical center of the city. The
city is divided into four wards. The First Ward embraces that part lying
north of the river, the Second Ward that part south of the river and west
of Maple Street; the Third Ward extends from Maple street to Lake Manistee
and south to Fifth Street; the Fourth Ward lies east of Maple Street, south
of Fifth Street, and extends to the border of the little lake, taking in
the thriving settlement known as Maxwell town.

"The New Iron Bridge

across the river on Maple Street, is completed, at a cost of about $18,000,
and if far superior to the wooden structure destroyed by the great fire of
October 8, 1871.

"The soil in the First Ward is mostly of sand or sandy loam. The Second and
Third Wards are principally located on good clay loam soil, which is excellent
for garden purposes. The country around the city is generally good for farming
purposes. Wheat is never Winter-killed, and fruit of all kinds does well,
especially pears, plums, peaches and apples, as the mercury seldom touches
zero, and never goes far below that point. The river and harbor is always
free from ice, and never subject to overflow. The timber of the county consists
largely of beech, maple, ash, pine, hemlock and cedar, growing very large
and thrifty. Timber land can be bought at about $3 to $15 per acre. City
lots bring from $100 to $15,000 each.

"The Large Manistee River

affords excellent water communication with the interior, being navigable
for about 200 miles, extending through one of the finest belts of pine timber
in the state. The Little Manistee River flows from the southeast and empties
into Manistee Lake. It affords floatage for logs a distance of about eighty
miles, and excellent water-power at different points near its mouth.

"There are in the city and vicinity some twenty first-class sawmills, with
a capacity of about 100,000 feet of lumber each, and there is actually cut
and shipped from Manistee about 159,000,000 feet each year.

"There is a daily line of steamers connecting with lines to Chicago, Milwaukee
and most of the lake ports; a tri-weekly line direct to Milwaukee, and two
steamers daily connecting with the cars at Pentwater.

"Three Lines of Telegraph

are already established: One south to Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and east and
south; one north to Frankfort, and a line between Stronach and this city.
Three lines of

Railroads

are contemplated, and one or more will probably be completed soon. A line
from Reed City would be but forty-eight miles long, and would give first-class
connections in every direction, and one extending twenty-four miles
south would form a connection with the Flint & P.M.R.R. And the route
east on the up river line is pressed with must earnestness. Certainly
railroad men will not long delay to avail themselves to the extensive trade
of our young city. We have one of the finest

Union School Buildings

in the state, which, with three ward schools, affords educational facilities
seldom equaled in a city the size of Manistee.

"There are five church buildings of good size and appearance, and one, the
Congregational, is a very fine brick structure that would do credit to a
much older and wealthier town than Manistee.

The water and atmosphere of Manistee are as pure and healthy as any in the
world. We have all the advantages of a Lake Superior climate, without its
extreme cold or remote location. With Lake Michigan on the west, deep in
its crystal beauty, offering a pathway for the commerce of the world, cheaper
than iron horse ever followed, and more enduring than rails of steel; while
Manistee Lake and rivers stretch away into the interior, offering water
communication through a country rich in resources and fertile for cultivation.
The city is extremely inviting to those desiring such a location, and affords
one of the most promising opportunities for the investment of capital that
could be desired.

"It has been less than two years since

The Great Fire

of October 8, 1871, swept over half of our beautiful city from the face of
the earth. At that time we had less than 3,500 inhabitants, but yet from
the ashes business houses and homes have sprung up, until last season the
school census of the city proved a population of over 4,400, and now
we have about 5,000. And all this after the terrible visitation of the fire
fiend, and in the face of the thousand and one discouragements produced by
the fire, and it is safe to predict that the city will number 10,000 inhabitants
inside of five years.

"Sawmill And Lumber Interests.

"First at the entrance of the harbor is found the mill of John
Canfield. It is on the site of the oldest mill in the place, and is sheeted
with iron from smoke-stack to foundation, and has a capacity of about 100,000
feet each eleven hours. Three mills have been burnt down on this site, which
is just at the delta of the river; hence the efforts to make this as near
fire-proof as possible.

"Tyson & Sweet's new mill is located in the Third Ward on the little
lake, and it is designed to take the place of two mills burned down where
this now stands. It has a capacity of 150,000 feet. Then comes the other
mill of Tyson & Sweet, which is a first-class mill, and has a capacity
of 100,000. Across the river, in the First Ward, is the mill of Messrs. Cushman,
Calkins & Co., built on the ashes of the one burned in the great fire.
Capacity, 100,000 feet.

"Green & Milmoe's new mill, at the north end of Manistee Lake, was built
in the stead of their mill burned down in the city. It has a capacity of
100,000 feet each eleven hours.

"Magill & Canfield's, on the east side of the lake, has a capacity of
90,000. This is a new mill, built on the site of one destroyed by the great
fire.

"Shrigley & Canfield's mill has a capacity of 50,000 feet.

"Louis Sands new mill has a capacity of 100,000 feet, and has one of the
best whistles in the state. It has been heard over twenty miles.

Mill Name

Capacity (Feet)

Dennett & Dunham's mill

60,000

Paggeott & Thorson's mill, at Paggeottville

100,000

Filer & Sons, at Filer City

100,000

Magnan's mill, at Stronach

30,000

Taber's mill, at Filer City

80,000

A.W. Briggs & Co.'s shingle mill

80,000

Leitche's mill

65,000

Rietz Bros. large mill

100,000

Rietz Bros. small mill

70,000

R.G. Peter's mill

100,000

Engelmann & Salling's mill

100,000

Ruddock & Gifford's mill

130,000

Tyson & Sweet's new mill

150,000

"It is estimated that nearly 200,000,000 feet of lumber will be shipped from
this port during the season.

LIST OF BUSINESS HOUSES AND PLACES OF BUSINESS
AND TRADE, ASIDE FROM THE LUMBER INTERESTS

In this list we cannot attempt to give the names of streets, but commence
at the west end of South River Street, which runs parallel with the river
and the harbor, and extends from lake to lake, a distance of over a mile
and a half.

"There were one or two omisions in the above list which the editor subsequently
corrects as follows:

"The blocks thus omitted were the fine, large brick blocks on the corner
of maple and River Streets. The first, that of Messrs. Lucas & Nungesser,
is the best brick block in the city, and contains the extensive furniture
ware rooms of LUCAS & NUNGESSER, the elegant new drug store of W.E. SHORT
& Co., the law office of A.V. McALVAY, the restaurant of HORNKOHL &
CONROD. The other, that of Messrs. CUSHMAN, CALKINS & Co., contains their
extensive mercantile establishment, on the south side of the river, and the
merchant tailor rooms of Wilkes EDWARDS. Messrs. Cushman, Calkins &
Co. probably sell more dry goods at retail than any other firm in the city."

MARINE LIST

There are in constant service and belonging to Manistee harbor nine
tugs and steamers, as follows:

NAME

CAPTAIN

OWNER(S)

Tug "Margaret"

Capt. John CRAWFORD

Tyson, Sweet & Co.

Tug "C. Williams"

Capt. C. GNEWUCH

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "Parsons"

Capt. C. MYERS

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "Edwards"

Capt. E. TAGGART

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "J. C. Osgood"

Capt. T. ACKERMAN

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "Hunter Savidge"

Capt. Peter MARSH

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "Mud Hen"

Capt. L. LAVINE

Canfield Tug Line

Tug "Ida M. Stevens"

Capt. TOGOOD

Dempsey & Cartier

The "Ida"
Passenger steamer

Capt. SMITH

Smith & Son

Steam Barge "Hilton"

Capt. J. COCHRANE

Wing & Buckley

Steam Barge "Chas Rietz"

not named

Rietz Bros.

Steam Barge "M. Groh"

not named

Gifford & Ruddock

Bark "Sanborn"

not named

Lyman & Wright

Scow "J.M. Hill"

Capt. Dan MABEE

Lyman & Wright

Schooner "Nellie Church"

Capt. Charles OTTO

Wing & Buckley

Schooner "Parker"

Capt. John LARSON

Tyson, Sweet & Co.

Schooner "Napoleon"

Capt. D. DOUGLASS

Tyson, Sweet & Co.

Schooner "L. McDonald"

not named

Cushman, Calkins & Co.

Schooner "J & A Stronach"

Capt. HALL

Gifford & Ruddock
from Racine

Schooner "J.B. Newland"

Capt. H. JONES

Gifford & Ruddock
from Racine

Schooner "Gladiator"

Capt. ANDERSON

Rietz Bros.
from Chicago

Barge "Harmony"

not named

Rietz Bros.

Barge "Windsor"

not named

Gifford & Ruddock

Hooker "Jenny Lind"

not named

Gregory Bros.

Hooker "The Great West"

not named

Geo. A. Ford

Hooker (Not named)

not named

Mr. Seymour

Fishing Boat

not named

Messrs. Horton & Hall

Fishing Boat

not named

P.C. Taggart

Fishing Boat

not named

Norwegian Bill

"The Custom House books show that in the first twenty days of this month,
there were 126 arrivals and departures at this port, and 225 since the
opening of navigation.